Behind the Beak

Mike Parris began broadcasting Jacksonville State football 37 years ago, and Saturday’s homecoming game against Southeast Missouri marked his 400th in the booth as “The Voice” of the Gamecocks. He has been behind the mic for nearly every milestone game in almost every sport – whether it be the 1992 Division II Football National Championship, the back-to-back Division II baseball championships in 1990 and 1991, or the 1985 Division II Men’s Basketball National Championship. JSU fans have invited Parris into their homes for nearly four decades, and he shows no sign of stopping anytime soon.

This week, BTB steps slightly outside athletics with Jacksonville State Director of Bands and Assistant Professor of Music Dr. Kenneth Bodiford. A former Marching Southerner and graduate of Jacksonville State, Bodiford returned to JSU in 1994 to assume his current position. Ever since, the Southerners have only grown in numbers and continue to impress at halftime and after each and every home football game. Under his direction, the Southerners numbers grew to nearly 600 for band camp this past fall, continuing a long-running tradition of excellence since the school's first band was formed in 1923.

Volleyball's Sadie Anderson sat the entire 2017 campaign after having three ribs removed, then struggled through her redshirt sophomore season with torn ligaments in her ankle. Despite the serious ankle injury, she played the entire season and became the first Gamecock in nine years to be awarded OVC All-Tournament honors. This season, she is back and stronger than ever. The redshirt junior shares her story of injury recovery and battling through the pain to play the game she loves in the pod's seventh installment.

Josh Pearson arrived in Jacksonville in 2015, but didn’t see the field until the end of 2017 because he was academically ineligible for the first half of his career. Ever since then, Josh has taken full advantage of his second chance on the field, but more importantly, he takes pride in being the fixture in the community he has become. Pearson wants to be a positive example and show that everyone deserves a second chance.

Emma Meadows is a senior forward and midfielder on the JSU soccer team, and she is one of six Canadians on head coach Neil Macdonald’s roster. Despite being 980 miles from her hometown of Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada, Jacksonville has become her home over the past four years. Not only has she been a mainstay in the Gamecocks' lineup, playing in more than more than 60 matches since 2016, she has also made her presence felt in the community as a volunteer youth soccer coach.

Former NFL quarterback and current JSU assistant football coach Cleo Lemon talks about his unconventional journey to the professional ranks, coaching the Gamecocks' quarterbacks and his continued relationship with the National Football League.

Senior defensive specialist Maddie Cloutier has experienced many athletic firsts with Jacksonville State volleyball. She was a member of the first full-season beach team, helped the sand team to its first duels victory and is in line to become the program's winningest beach player. Before she's finished, she wants to help the Gamecocks bring home their first Ohio Valley Conference beach title.

Senior long snapper Josh Brady owns a unique title for someone playing his position – All-American. Josh talks about being an All-American selection, why he chose to come to Jacksonville State over offers from Chattanooga and Auburn, and tells a few stories you can only get from sitting down face-to-face with the extremely personable senior.

Athletic director Greg Seitz gives a facility update, discusses his busy schedule and talks about how far JSU Athletics has come since his arrival in 1993 in the series' first full-length episode.

"Behind the Beak" is the official podcast of Jacksonville State Athletics. Hosted by Tyler Brown, a new episode will drop each week to update fans on a variety of topics surrounding the Gamecocks. A guest will join Tyler each week, giving fans a chance to go "Behind the Beak" with untold stories and inside news not found anywhere else.